Search

Over the last couple of months I have had the pleasure to work with members from the Avenue Craft Group and Crumpsall Craft Crewe to create two textile wallhangings entitled A Stitch in Time. The brief was to incorporate and showcase the many different types of textile crafting techniques and stitches that the members utilise, whilst also depicting local and well loved landmarks, both historic and modern.

?

?

?

?

?

?

I thoroughly enjoyed working with the groups and as well as learning much more about their local areas, was thoroughly impressed by the skill and stitching expertise of the group members. The resulting colourful wall hangers (that can be displayed seperately, or together) are not only eye catching, they also encourage the viewer (whatever their age!) to look closely to spot all the flora&fauna on display and also to see if the local landmarks in Heaton park and Boggart Hole Clough can be spotted.

My friend Rachel supports the work of Pastor Alfred Adundo and the NGO he runs; Macedonian Vision Africa (MVA) in Jinga, Uganda. MVA works with the people in Masese, a slum on the edge of Jinga. Part of the project involves running a vocational tailoring course for young women in Masese. The idea is that we set up a community co-operative linked to the tailoring course, employing the young women to make Ugandan quilts which will be then sold via my quilt business. This lost wax fabric sample quilt, made from fabric produced at a local factory, is the first step of that process. I’m hoping 2014 will not only be exciting time for my own British Made quilts, but also the start of a Jinga community quilt making co-operative.

Such a pleasure to work with Mandy and Lara at the Beetlefelt studios on another Patchwork and Quilting series.

A month of Monday evenings stitching and chatting and learning new skills, as well as drinking tea and eating cake are definitely a couple of enjoyable hours well spent.

And for all of you tempted there is a new patchwork and Quilting series running at Beetlefelt Studios in February, as well as an Appliqué series running in March. Go to http://www.beetlefelt.co.uk/workshops.html to book onto these workshops.

Sadly another Patchwork and Quilting series at Beetlefelt Studios finished on Monday night. But what can I say; we all enjoyed the chat and also got some stitiching done too!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

My Patchwork and Quilting series of four evening classes is a whistle stop introduction to Patchwork and Quilting techniques. Inbetween the chat there are lots of Patchwork demonstrations, with an idea to develop these into a future project.